might the more effectually use their weapons, many of the soldiers of
St. Mark uncovered their faces and laid aside their shields. No quarter
was given, and the slaughter was very great on both sides. One of the
Sultan's galleys near the shore being very hard pressed, the Turks
jumped overboard and escaped to land. Some of the Venetians followed and
slew them as they ran to the cover of some rocks. One of these pursuers,
being armed only with a stick, contrived with that simple weapon to pin
his victim through the mouth to the ground, to the great admiration of
his comrades.
As the centre divisions of the two fleets closed with each other the
wisdom of Don John in retrenching the fore-peaks of his vessels became
abundantly apparent. The Turks had neglected to take this precaution;
the efficiency of their forecastle guns was therefore greatly impaired.
Their prows were also much higher than the prows of their antagonists.
While their shot passed harmlessly over the enemy, his balls struck
their galleys close to water-mark with fatal precision. The fire of the
Christians was the more murderous because many of the Turkish vessels
were crowded with soldiers both on the deck and below.
Ali and Don John had each directed his helmsman to steer for the
flag-ship of the enemy. The two galleys soon met, striking each other
with great force. The left prow of the Pacha towered high above the
lower forecastle of Don John, and his galley's peak was thrust through
the rigging of the other vessel until its point was over the fourth
rowing-bench. Thus linked together the two flag-ships became a
battle-field which was strongly contested for about two hours. The Pacha
had on board four hundred picked janizaries--three hundred armed with
the arquebus and one hundred with the bow. Two galliots and ten galleys,
all filled with janizaries, lay close astern, the galliots being
connected with the Pacha's vessels by ladders, up which reenforcements
immediately came when wanted. The galley of Pertau Pacha fought
alongside. Don John's consisted of three hundred arquebusiers; but his
forecastle artillery was, for reasons above mentioned, more efficient,
while his bulwarks, like those of other Christian vessels, were
protected from boarders by nettings and other devices with which the
Turks had not provided themselves. Requesens, wary and watchful, lay
astern with two galleys, from which he led fresh troops into the
flag-ship from time to time. Alongside, Vaniero and Colonna were each
hotly engaged with an antagonist. The combat between the two chiefs was
on the whole not unequal, and it was fought with great gallantry on both
sides. From the Turkish forecastle the arquebusiers at first severely
galled the Christians. Don Lope de Figueroa, who commanded on the prow
of the flag-ship, lost so many of his men that he was compelled to ask
for assistance. Don Bernardino de Cardenas, who led a party to his aid,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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